Chapter 28: One More Match

Quickly.

The disciples of both sects had already gathered at the martial arts arena.

Each and every one of them was high-spirited and full of fighting will.

Daoist Longshan and Old Man Divine Sword sat in their grand armchairs, smiling broadly.

The two exchanged words via voice transmission.

"Brother Divine Sword, what do you think of my idea?"

"I didn't expect a nosey old Daoist like you to be so devious."

"Brother Divine Sword, you are mistaken. This old Daoist is simply allowing the disciples more opportunities for tempering. Think about it—in the past, we fought while they watched. What could they possibly learn? They were merely spectators to the spectacle. But now, they are stepping onto the field themselves, bearing the heavy responsibilities of their sects. They will inevitably give their all, and the results will be entirely different."

"I'll give you credit for being clever. Once the disciples of my Divine Sword Sect beat your Zhenwu Sect so badly they're crying for their mothers, I will reluctantly allow you to stay on Mount Zhenwu for a few more years."

Listening to his old friend's sharp tongue, Daoist Longshan merely smiled without rebuttal.

In his heart, Old Man Divine Sword felt a slight sense of gratitude.

He knew that Daoist Longshan had proactively proposed this plan to save his face.

In reality, he had no intention of actually seizing Mount Zhenwu; at most, he would just mock them a few times when the time came.

Gratitude was one thing.

Pride was another.

"Since I cannot beat you, it is all the same if my disciples beat yours!"

Old Man Divine Sword was brimming with confidence.

Receiving a signal from Daoist Longshan, Luo Wentian looked out at the disciples of both sects.

"Everyone, according to the words of my Master and Senior Divine Sword, this sparring session is primarily for tempering. While you must give your all, you must also know when to stop. Avoid injuring others recklessly, or you will face severe punishment."

"Of course, if you perform well, the two Masters will not be stingy with rewards!"

"Which disciple wishes to go first?"

The crowd was eager to try.

Soon.

An outer disciple of the Zhenwu Sect stepped forward.

"I am Wang Chong, an outer disciple of the Zhenwu Sect. Which member of the Divine Sword Sect can offer me some guidance?" The youth was high-spirited and full of vigor.

Both the Zhenwu Sect and the Divine Sword Sect were divided into outer, inner, and true disciple ranks. Outer disciples were all in the Body Tempering Realm, while inner disciples were in the Inner Yuan Realm. Those in the Gang Yuan Realm were considered elders of the sect, but since both sects had only been founded recently, there were very few in the Gang Yuan Realm.

As for the true disciples, they were not ranked by strength; these were the disciples personally taken in by Daoist Longshan and Old Man Divine Sword.

A youth from the Divine Sword Sect drew his sword and stepped out, his sharp aura on full display.

"I am Li Bing, an outer disciple of the Divine Sword Sect. I shall meet you!"

The two clashed instantly.

Sword light danced and fist winds howled.

Those who dared to be the first to step up naturally possessed a certain level of confidence.

The onlookers nodded inwardly in approval.

Ning Qi was also watching. He rarely fought, but with his level of comprehension, experiential things like this were far easier to grasp than creating new techniques. With just one or two battles, the growth he gained would far surpass others; even observing others fight provided him with immense growth.

"Wang Chong is about to win."

Wang Chong was using the Tiger Fiend Fist, a technique Ning Qi had also practiced. In a short time, he had already reached the realm of perfection, and subsequently integrated it into his own Myriad Manifestation Fist. He likely understood this technique even better than its creator.

With this thought, Wang Chong’s fist struck with a tiger's roar, carrying a murderous aura that sent Li Bing flying backward.

"You let me win."

Wang Chong stopped at the appropriate moment.

The Zhenwu Sect disciples were excited and joyful, while the Divine Sword Sect disciples became even more restless.

"I'll take you on!"

The atmosphere in the arena was completely ignited.

Outer disciples stepped up one after another.

However, it was clearly visible that the Zhenwu Sect disciples were stronger than the Divine Sword Sect disciples, possessing a deeper foundation. The Divine Sword Sect disciples suffered more losses than wins.

Old Man Divine Sword was suspicious and somewhat envious.

"Nosey Longshan, you've actually recruited quite a decent batch of disciples, haven't you?"

Daoist Longshan stroked his beard and laughed loudly, casting a subtle, satisfied glance toward Ning Qi.

It had been nearly two years since he obtained the improved Body Tempering Powder, and it was already showing initial results.

It was foreseeable that the foundation of the Zhenwu Sect would grow deeper and deeper.

Seeing Daoist Longshan acting profound, Old Man Divine Sword snorted in annoyance.

Soon.

The inner disciples took the stage.

At this point, the advantage of the Zhenwu Sect was not as pronounced. After all, Old Man Divine Sword was no pushover; it was said he had once obtained a fragmented inheritance from a Sword Saint, and the disciples of the Divine Sword Sect were all experts in slaughter.

The number of victories for the Zhenwu Sect was almost equal to that of the Divine Sword Sect.

Finally.

Old Man Divine Sword's expression improved slightly, though his face remained dark.

His gaze swept across the field, and a young man in white understood the signal, instantly darting forward. The youth was imposing, his eyes like lightning, and the three-foot blade in his hand shimmered like cold autumn water.

"Yan Shiheng, the sixth true disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, is here. I request guidance from a true disciple of the Zhenwu Sect!"

Every eye was shaken.

The contest between true disciples was the greatest spectacle, for in a sense, the true disciples represented the true foundation of a sect.

Ning Qi raised an eyebrow, becoming interested.

Qin Yun was about to stand up.

A figure beside him pressed him down.

A thin young man in a blue Daoist robe smiled and said

"Sun Chuanhai, the sixth true disciple of the Zhenwu Sect, requests Brother Yan's guidance!"

A sixth true disciple against a sixth true disciple—this was the proper way.

The two exchanged salutes.

Then, almost simultaneously, they charged at each other.

The moment the Zhenwu disciple made his move, the difference was immediately felt. Both were in the Inner Yuan Realm, but their combat strength was much higher than that of the inner disciples. Their exquisite moves left the crowd of disciples in awe, prompting frequent exclamations of surprise.

Even Daoist Longshan and Old Man Divine Sword watched much more intently.

"Sixth Senior Brother is likely to lose."

Ning Qi watched very closely.

He wanted to observe the circulation of internal energy, but the internal energy of an Inner Yuan Realm expert was very contained, used primarily to bolster the body. Those with profound cultivation could extend it outside their bodies, but not in the same way as the Gang Yuan Realm, which could project energy away from the body. Even with all his effort, Ning Qi could only deduce the changes in internal energy through the variations in their moves.

Because of this, he could see that after several hundred exchanges, Sun Chuanhai was beginning to feel the strain.

A look of joy surfaced in Old Man Divine Sword's eyes.

Sure enough, Sun Chuanhai's expression changed, and before he knew it, the sword in Yan Shiheng's hand was pressed against his throat.

The first battle of the true disciples: the Divine Sword Sect won.

"Brother Yan's swordsmanship is astonishing."

Sun Chuanhai took a deep breath and spoke. Since he was outmatched, there was nothing more to say.

Yan Shiheng returned the courtesy

"Brother Sun overpraises me. I have simply eaten more meals for two extra years."

He looked toward the others in the Zhenwu Sect and said calmly

"Is there any other true disciple who wishes to offer guidance?"

The Divine Sword Sect disciples relaxed, but this time, it was the Zhenwu Sect disciples who grew somewhat anxious.

Qin Yun could no longer restrain himself. With a light tap of his toes, his figure drifted gracefully to stand opposite Yan Shiheng.

"The eighth true disciple of the Zhenwu Sect, Qin Yun!"

A fighting spirit rose in his eyes.

Yan Shiheng frowned slightly. If Sun Chuanhai was in his same age group, then Qin Yun was much younger, likely five or six years his junior. Winning would feel unseemly.

But in the next instant.

He changed his mind.

Qin Yun held a saber, and with just a single slash, the powerful, piercing saber light forced him to discard his previous thoughts.

This boy was even stronger than the previous sixth true disciple!

Saber light and sword light crisscrossed the arena. Even though both men tried their best to control it, they could not help but leave a web of intersecting marks upon the martial arts field.

Qin Yun's gaze was cold, growing stronger as the fight progressed.

After only a hundred moves.

A streak of saber light sliced through the clothing on Yan Shiheng's chest.

The Zhenwu Sect disciples could not help but cheer with excitement.

"Eighth Senior Brother is mighty!"

Defeating the sixth true disciple as the eighth true disciple was a massive boost to morale.

Old Man Divine Sword's expression was complicated.

He could see that this eighth true disciple of the Zhenwu Sect possessed extremely high talent and was likely already making strides toward the Great Success of the Inner Yuan Realm. To have such achievements at this age, his own Divine Sword Sect could not find a single person to match him.

Daoist Longshan could not help but smile.

Before Ning Qi ascended the mountain, Qin Yun was the most talented disciple of the Zhenwu Sect.

Qin Yun enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, his mood inexplicably light.

He said calmly

"You let me win."

Yan Shiheng only gave a bitter smile and waved his hand, feeling slightly defeated.

Daoist Longshan smiled and said to Old Man Divine Sword beside him

"Brother Divine Sword, how about we end today's battle here?"

"The disciples have surely gained an understanding of each other's strength. We shall discuss victory and defeat again in the next ten years."

Old Man Divine Sword fell into a brief silence.

He felt somewhat aggrieved.

The outer disciples were completely outmatched, the inner disciples were slightly inferior, and while the true disciples had one win and one loss, the Zhenwu Sect's eighth true disciple had beaten his sixth. It couldn't be considered a draw.

His face felt hot with embarrassment. He looked toward the little fatty, Zhuang Chen, who was currently sniffing his nose, and made a decision.

"How about one more match?"